


Splish-Splash

by WriteByNight



Series: Sterek Week 2016 [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Merman Derek, Sterek Week 2016
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8392231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteByNight/pseuds/WriteByNight
Summary: The guy nodded jerkily and stopped twirling his keys. He narrowed his eyes before he blurted out, “You're a mermai– ah, uh, merma- merperson, right?”Derek rolled his eyes and turned back to the notes in front of him. He was beyond tired of being treated like he was fucking Ariel from that damn movie. He didn't even have a sister named Ariel. That name was too average for his uptight father. Nor did he have an uncle named Percy. Not that he had ever met, anyway.“That's none of your business.” He muttered as he went back to attempting to translate Erica's notes. Why did so many females have to write with such curvy letters?“It's just... okay, my– I think my goldfish is depressed.”





	

Derek groaned at the nearly indecipherable notes he had laid out around him. He'd had to go home for nearly a week and had missed five classes with finals right around the corner. Luckily, he'd had friends in each class willing to give him their notes. Sadly, three of them had really shitty handwriting, and with his dyslexia, reading was already an issue.

He picked up his pen and stared at it forlornly. All the technology they had up here and they couldn't manage to do something awesome like scan information directly into his brain? Not that he'd be able to afford the technology, even if they had it. His family may be incredibly wealthy and practically rule the ocean, but it wasn't like his dad actually _wanted_ his son to be an environmental lawyer.

Derek jumped when the door banged open and whirled around in his seat to stare at the intruder incredulously. A young man that looked remarkably like an average human stood in the doorway twirling a set of keys around a finger.

He raised an eyebrow when the young man didn't say anything and wrinkled his nose when he realized he could practically _taste_ the man's nervous energy. He roamed his eyes over the man's dark brown hair to his fair skin and nearly amber eyes that had dark circles under them. He didn't want to stereotype, but the guy seemed to be a vampire, only his skin wasn't nearly pale enough and he seemed incredibly young.

Perhaps he'd been recently turned and couldn't control his bloodlust yet?

Though why he'd go after him was a bit beyond him. It wasn't like he had blood coursing through his veins.

When the man didn't speak up, Derek let out an exasperated sigh. He pushed his glasses up until they settled on the bridge of his nose. “May I help you?”

The guy nodded jerkily and stopped twirling his keys. He narrowed his eyes before he blurted out, “You're a mermai– ah, uh, merma- mer _person_ , right?”

Derek rolled his eyes and turned back to the notes in front of him. He was beyond tired of being treated like he was fucking _Ariel_ from that damn movie. He didn't even have a sister named Ariel. That name was too average for his uptight father. Nor did he have an uncle named Percy. Not that he had ever met, anyway.

“That's none of your business.” He muttered as he went back to attempting to translate Erica's notes. Why did so many females have to write with such curvy letters?

“It's just... okay, my– I think my goldfish is depressed.”

“Your... goldfish?” Derek repeated, his tone flat. He had to hand it to the guy. He was creative. Derek had never heard _that_ one before.

“Yeah. My goldfish. I was wondering if you could 'talk' to him or 'bubble' at him or whatever it is you do. He's not eating, he doesn't swim around the tank like he used to and he's not himself. I don't know what else to do. Vets don't really deal with goldfish.”

Derek wondered if it was all an extremely elaborate prank or if the guy was being serious.

“Why didn't you just bring your goldfish here if you wanted me to find out if he's depressed or not?” he challenged.

Derek expected another well-thought excuse, but the guy just seemed to deflate in front of him. The man inhaled sharply and pursed his lips.

“Forget it,” the brunette snapped as he began to twirl his keys again. He spun on his heel and headed for the door. “If you were a merperson you'd _know_ that fish don't like being in tiny bowls and they don't like being transported. When I first got Cap'n I thought he would _never_ adjust to the tank, but he did, and I'm not uprooting him and putting him through that again when he's already depressed!”

The brunette shook his head with an intense look of disgust on his face as he yanked the door open and strode out without a word.

Derek barely paused to ponder the situation for a second before he launched himself out of his chair and slipped out the door before it had time to fall shut.

“Hang on a second!” Derek called out. He forgot that he was in the library until at least seven people turned to hiss and shush him.

The guy turned around, clearly irritated and impatient. “What?” he demanded in a harsh whisper.

“I am a– do you _honestly_ – are you really concerned about your uh, Captain?”

“ _Cap'n_ ,” the guy corrected him. “And yes, I'm very concerned. I recently lost one fish. I don't want to lose another.”

“Okay. I'll help.” Derek replied before he even thought about it. “Just...let me go grab my stuff.”

Derek headed back toward his soundproof study booth to grab his things and was surprised to hear the other guy following him. He slipped into the room and began to gather up his notebooks and the notes his friends had lent him and made sure he didn't wrinkle or rip them as he tried to shove them neatly, but quickly, into his messenger bag.

“Dude, take your time. I don't think Cap'n's going to bail on me in the next half hour.” The guy said from behind him, sounding amused.

“Well, you made it seem like he's about to fucking drown himself or something.” Derek snapped as he zipped and buckled his bag shut and slung it over his shoulder.

The guy nearly snorted in laughter. “Drown himself? My _goldfish_?” He let out a light laugh and his eyes were bright as Derek turned around to look at him.

Derek wouldn't admit it, but the guy's laugh made his heart pound faster in his chest. He took a few deep breaths as he attempted to regulate his heartbeat. He'd been on the surface since he was 18 years old and he was nearly 26 and quickly approaching graduation. He'd come across over a thousand humans and none of them had ever made his heart pound or his pulse speed up.

Perhaps the guy was some kind of siren, though Derek didn't know many that weren't female. He was sure some had to exist, somewhere. Maybe in Northern Europe. He'd never been fond of frigid waters.

“Dude, I know I said Cap'n would be fine for half an hour, but I'm not willing to just stand around while his life hangs in the balance.”

Derek adjusted the bag on his shoulder and headed toward the door, but the brunette stepped in front of him to block his path. He raised an eyebrow as his lips set in a narrow line. “What?”

The guy brought up his other hand, the one that wasn't fondling his keys, and offered it to Derek. “I'm Stiles, by the way.”

Derek took a step back so he could shake the pale hand hovering between them. “Derek.”

“I know.” Stiles cast him a quick smile and took his hand back to run it through his carefully styled hair. “Uh, Isaac's dating my best friends, so...”

“Oh,” Derek muttered intelligently as he blinked. He'd have to have a discussion with Isaac about outing him. He didn't understand why anyone needed to know about his status other than the officials at the university that had let him in. It wasn't like he was volatile around the full moon or would go crazy being around humans due to bloodlust. He wasn't a shapeshifter that needed to be monitored so he wasn't accused of taking on the identity of another person to cheat.

“If it makes you feel better, I kinda forced him into it. I told him I'd kill him if I found out he knew anyone who could help Cap'n and let him die.”

Derek shot him a dark look. “He still shouldn't have told you.” he followed Stiles out of the room as he made a mental note to have a discussion with Isaac later. He knew that Isaac was friends with a few other merpeople. Derek didn't know most of them, but he did know one.

“Why didn't Isaac tell you to ask for Danny's help?” he asked gruffly as they exited the library.

Stiles paused in front of him and Derek bumped into him. Despite being on land for almost a decade, his coordination wasn't the best. He assumed it had to do with motor skills that most humanoid creatures developed during their youth, whereas he had literally learned to walk at age 18. It was why he spent so much time in the gym, strengthening up his muscles. Every day was leg day for a merman.

“Uh, Danny and I kind of were a thing in high school, so I kinda would rather not talk to him if I can avoid it.”

Derek furrowed his brow as he followed the slightly shorter male toward the parking lot on the side of the building. “What do you mean you were 'a thing'?” he questioned as he stared at the other male's back calculatingly. “Can you take on other forms or merge your body with his?”

“Uh, yeah, we _did_ do that. Merge our bodies together, I mean. But not in the way you're thinking.”

Derek wanted to punch the brunette for being so cryptic. He had always hated when people weren't upfront with him. His family wasn't the type to share their thoughts, feelings, and intentions outright. Instead of being cryptic himself, it had made Derek annoyed and easily agitated.

“So, you're a shapeshifter of some kind?”

“What?” Stiles asked as he neared a truly atrocious beast of Jeep. It was blue and rusting through in some places, but the way Stiles tapped two fingers on the hood looked almost like he was greeting the machine.

Derek wondered if he would ever become accustomed to the weird things the more human-like creatures did.

“I'm not a shapeshifter,” Stiles said after a brief pause. He opened the Jeep's door after he played with the handle a bit.

“Then _what_ are you?” Derek demanded as he stood off to the side while Stiles swung himself into the vehicle. “It's only fair that I know what you are since Isaac blabbed about me.”

Stiles gave a little shrug and ran his hand through his hair. “I'm sorry about that, dude, really. I know how bad it sucks to be outed before you're ready or without your permission.”

“You've been outed?” Derek asked hesitantly as he walked toward the Jeep slowly.

“Well, not regarding my status, but my sexuality, yeah.”

Derek nearly rolled his eyes. Surface walkers worried over such petty little things, such as sexuality. There were few creatures that claimed mates and initiated soul bonds. Those creatures Derek could at least understand since merpeople didn't discriminate. Mates were mates, no matter what gender they were, what color their skin was or what their status was. Merpeople didn't have an issue defining sexuality. They were a highly sexualized race that didn't care about such things. Consent was the only thing in the way of a merperson pursuing one another. So long as they were consenting, the rest didn't matter.

Yet another reason why Derek had felt out of place in the ocean. He believed there should be more than physical attraction when it came to having sex. He had never felt the need to have sexual relations of any kind with anyone. However, the idea of being intimate with Stiles – whatever he was – made him react in a way he was not at all used to.

“Are you coming or what?” Stiles demanded, and abruptly interrupted Derek's thoughts.

“I don't have a car.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and jerked his head to the side, toward the other seat. “Get in. I'll bring you back here when we're done, or I'll drop you off at your place. Whatever.”

Derek narrowed his eyes and gripped the strap of his messenger bag tightly. “You think I'd just get in your car with you despite not knowing you or anything about you? I'm not an idiot.”

“Dude, what? You could probably bench press _two_ of me. You could throw me across the parking lot if you wanted to.”

“Yeah, in your human form! I have no idea what powers or strength you have in your born state!”

“Wait, what?” Stiles asked as he raised an eyebrow and widened his eyes. “Dude, this is my _only_ state.”

Derek's mouth dropped open. “You're a human? A pureblood human?”

Stiles' face went blank and he glanced around the parking lot. “Get in the Jeep and I'll answer your question. You don't have to come with me or help once you hear the answer. I just rather not shout it out here.”

Derek questioned his own intelligence as he rounded the front of the Jeep toward the passenger side, very aware of the amber colored eyes that followed his every step. He tugged at the handle, but it didn't budge until Stiles leaned over the gear shift, pulled the handle and elbowed the door near the locking mechanism.

The vehicle shifted as Derek hopped into the passenger seat and placed his bag carefully over his knees, which were nearly brushing the glove compartment. Clearly, whatever Stiles was, he wasn't someone who enjoyed having a lot of room.

“So, okay, I'm not a pureblood human. I'm not entirely sure _what_ I am. My dad was... seduced... and doesn't remember having sex with anyone, but five months later, I was dropped on his doorstep. A paternity test revealed I'm his real son. _He's_ a pureblood, but I- I don't know what I am.”

Derek let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. No wonder the other male looked so average. He was mostly human. He didn't just _look_ human. For the most part, he _was_ one.

“Dude, are you still with me?”

“Don't call me 'dude',” Derek ordered as he felt the tension in his muscles bleed out. “Let's just get to your fish.”

Stiles glared at him. “If you're not going to be nice about it or actually want to help me and Cap'n then don't. I'll figure something else out.”

“No, I don't mind helping. I'm just...not so good at interacting with others.” 

“Really?” Stiles remarked wanly with a smug smirk. “You could've fooled me.”

Derek had to bite back his initial response and calmly asked, “Can we just get going, please? Before your goldfish dies.”

Stiles' smile faded and he turned the key in the ignition with a grim frown on his face. Derek nearly jumped as the engine roared to life and the vehicle nearly vibrated under him. He cast a glance at Stiles' face, which was nothing but focused as he backed the Jeep out of the parking space, switched gears and began to drive toward the exit.

Derek kind of missed his smile.

**~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~***

Derek followed Stiles up four flights of stairs to the other man's apartment. He wasn't really sure what he'd agreed to or what he'd gotten himself into. He didn't even know if he'd be able to communicate with the goldfish or not.

Stiles let them into a fairly nice apartment that was relatively neat, which surprised Derek. His own apartment looked like a very small hurricane hit it. He appreciated having things neat and tidy, but he couldn't manage to live his own life that way.

He stayed near the door as Stiles kicked off his shoes and padded through the short and narrow hallway before disappearing into another room. Derek wasn't sure if he should follow after him or not, or if he should even take off his shoes. Or remove his bag.

Stiles poked his head out of a doorway and gave him a curious look. “Dude, are you coming? Cap'n's not looking so good.”

“Stop calling me 'dude',” Derek grumbled as he fumbled with his bag and nearly strangled himself with the strap.

“C'mon, bro!”

“Not your bro.”

Derek set his messenger bag down by the door and decided to take off his shoes. If Stiles were offended he could put them back on, but at least he wouldn't track gravel and dirt across the other man's clean floors from the start.

He walked to the room Stiles had disappeared into and blushed as he realized it was Stiles' bedroom. Being in someone else's bedroom always unsettled Derek. It was a very private space that was associated with intimacy and Derek typically avoided such spaces.

His eyes trailed over the posters on the wall, which were mostly superhero and Star Wars themed. The bedroom furniture didn't match and there were mismatched pillowcases, sheets, and comforters. The desk was neatly organized and the hamper didn't even have clothes overflowing from it.

“Dude, I don't need a house inspection. I need you to tell me what the hell is wrong with Cap'n.”

Derek turned toward the large tank Stiles was pointing to, where a large goldfish bobbed near the top of the tank. He tapped the glass near the fish, but it didn't move. Stiles, however, yanked his arm away and snapped, “What're you doing? Don't tap the glass! Fish _hate_ that!”

“Sorry,” Derek apologized as he tugged his arm from Stiles' hold. “I just wanted to see if he'd react to it.”

He put his face close to the glass and stared at the goldfish thoughtfully. He had no idea that they could grow so big. Goldfish were mostly found in Asian countries and Derek had rarely made the trek to the Asian waters. He preferred to stay near the warm waters of South America and the west coast of North America while venturing toward his parents home in Greece when he missed them. He hadn't encountered a goldfish before and had no idea if it were even possible to talk to one.

“Uh, so...I'm going to have to put my head in the water for him to be able to understand me.”

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Okay,” he said slowly as he dragged out the word. “Uh, alright. Let me go grab a chair.”

Derek glanced around the room and wondered if he should also ask for a towel so he wouldn't drip all over Stiles' clean room. He'd probably have to change his shirt, too.

He reached for the hem of his shirt and was in the midst of pulling it over his head when he heard Stiles exclaim in a high-pitched, strained tone, “Why are you stripping?”

“I didn't want my shirt to get wet and drip all over your house,” Derek responded before he wiggled out of his shirt and tossed it haphazardly onto the neatly made bed. He cringed as it occurred to him that he should've folded the shirt instead of just tossing it aside. It was too late to doing anything about it now, though.

Stiles brought a chair from the kitchen table into the room and set it carefully against the large tank. “I hope your face and hair products don't mess with the pH balance or with the filtration system.” He murmured as he hovered near the side of the tank. The brunette bit at his lower lip worriedly as his eyes scanned the tank.

“Can't you just clean the tank after?” Derek asked as he stood on the kitchen chair and hunched over so his head wouldn't hit the ceiling. “It's better than your fish dying.”

Stiles let out a weary sigh. “Okay, yeah, you're right. I just don't want anything to happen to Cap'n.”

Derek shrugged. “I've never communicated with a goldfish before. I'm not even sure if I _can_. It's kind of like up here, how there are different languages? I may not be able to understand him, or he may not be able to understand me.” Derek wrinkled his nose. “From what I've heard about goldfish, well, they don't sound very intelligent. Now, orcas and dolphins, _those_ are highly intelligent creatures! But you shouldn't keep them as pets. Like your disgusting 'Sea World' does.”

“Okay, first of all, I have _nothing_ to do with Sea World. I've never even been there. I did see Free Willy, and I think they should set the orcas free, along with the dolphins, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Second, if you're not sure you can communicate with Cap'n, then why are you doing this?”

Derek gave a small shrug. “Because you looked very concerned about your goldfish, and I figured I should at least try.” He wondered if he should mention that he was attracted to the younger man. He wasn't one to feel anything towards someone else, but he also wasn't someone who shared all of his personal thoughts and feelings, either.

He decided to leave it at that as he bent over the tank. The water didn't smell fresh and welcoming like the ocean or the sea. It smelled incredibly fishy, and he had to move the light out of the way so he could look into the clear water at the goldfish staring back.

“You may want to grab me a towel so I don't drip on your floor after I, uh, speak with yo- Cap'n.”

“Yeah, sure. Give me a sec.” Stiles said before he left the room.

Derek dipped his finger into the water, which was at a perfectly controlled temperature that wasn't too hot nor too cold. He wondered if Cap'n hated living his life in a tank when he could be swimming free in the ocean, or wherever goldfish came from. He knew he'd hate to be treated like a pet or attraction at an aquarium.

“Here we go.” the brunette said as he reentered the room with a small stack of towels. “Now are we good?”

“Yeah,” Derek said before he inhaled and dunked his head into the tank.

**~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~***

Stiles wondered if he just should've asked one of the water sprites he knew, or Danny. Because he definitely wasn't prepared to stare at a shirtless Derek Hale. He knew most water related creatures were some of the most beautiful, but Danny had _nothing_ on Derek.

He'd been crushing on the other man after seeing him briefly at a party with Erica and Isaac. Stiles wanted to curse his attraction toward creatures from the water, but he wasn't regretting his attraction to Derek Hale.

Nor was he regretting his view of the merman's amazing bubble butt, broad shoulders and chest and pecs that were nearly perfectly defined, the light dusting of hair trailing down his defined abs to the waistband of his pants. Even with his head in a fish tank, Derek didn't look like an idiot. He was still gorgeous.

Stiles jumped and almost dropped the towels when Derek brought his head out of the water, looking nothing like Ariel, but still mesmerizing and beautiful in his own way. Stiles rushed forward to hand the merman a towel.

**~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~***

Derek gratefully accepted the towels Stiles shoved at his chest and nearly shivered as the barest contact as the back of Stiles' knuckle grazed his right nipple. He wanted to think it had to do with the change in temperature between the water and the cool air of the apartment, but he knew it was because _Stiles_ had touched him.

Fuck, he was diving fast.

He draped one towel over his shoulders to catch the excess water as he dried his face and hair with the other.

“Your goldfish – Cap'n – _is_ depressed.” Derek informed the brunette as he pulled the towel over his chest to stop the water droplets from soaking the waistband of his jeans. “Your other fish, when they died, Cap'n became depressed. He'd lost his best friend and now he's really lonely in the tank by himself all day. He wants another friend.”

Stiles gaped at him. “Are you serious? He's upset because Goldeen died?”

“You named your fish after a Pokémon?”

“You _know_ Pokémon?”

“I broke my ankle and got bored.” Derek defended himself hotly.

“I don't care. My geeky little heart is just happy that you like Pokémon, too.”

“Why is that?” Derek asked as he attempted to get his hair as dry as best he could so he could put his shirt on. The water wasn't a good combination with the cool air in the apartment and his nipples were already pebbling.

He could see Stiles trying not to stare, as well.

“Well, I made myself a promise a little while ago. No more falling for non-geeks. It just doesn't work out.”

“Oh, gotcha,” Derek said as he set the towel down and walked toward Stiles' bed to pick up his shirt. His head got stuck on the collar when he realized what Stiles had said. “Wait, what?”

He popped his head through the correct opening and yanked the hem down to cover himself, which seemed to snap Stiles to attention and he responded, “Do you want to go grab a coffee?”

Derek's mouth dropped open at the blunt question. He rarely happened across someone who was as blunt as he wanted them to be. Derek appreciated how refreshing it was to meet someone who said what they wanted and what they felt instead of covering it up with riddles and limericks.

“Coffee would be fine, but I like smoothies,” Derek said, unsure if Stiles would appreciate him being as blunt.

Stiles offered him an easy smile. “That's cool. I'd prefer hot chocolate anyway. We can hit Dunkin' Donuts and wherever you get your smoothies from and then go to the pet store. I've got to get a new buddy for Cap'n.”

“The organic store on Federal Street has a juice bar that has amazing fruit smoothies. So good, they'll convert you to being a juice head.”

Stiles hummed thoughtfully. “I may have to try that.”

**~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~***

After Derek got his drink and took a few swallows, Stiles had grabbed the cup from him. Instead of taking a sip, Stiles wrapped his arm around the back of Derek's neck, the Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate Stiles held in his hand radiated its warmth against his ear. Derek's eyes nearly crossed as he stared at Stiles, whom already had his eyes closed and his lips parted. He let his own eyes fall shut as Stiles' lips met his and he eagerly parted his lips for Stiles' tongue.

Derek had never kissed anyone before, but it wasn't as wet as he thought it would be, nor as gross as he had imagined it'd feel. He'd prefer to spend the rest of his life with his lips against Stiles' if he could.

Stiles drew away and cut the strand of saliva bridged between them with the side of his hand and laughed breathlessly. “You're right. I could definitely get into smoothies.”

Derek's head was still swimming with thoughts of Stiles and the kiss, and that feeling felt completely foreign to the merman. Lust, but not just lust. He was already fond of Stiles and could see himself falling in love with the other male easily. The thought didn't scare him, even though Derek was still curious about how loyal humans were to their partners.

“Are you monogamous?” he had found himself asking without really meaning to.

“I am. Most humans aren't, and I'm not sure if whatever the rest of me is, is a monogamous species, but I am.”

Derek nodded and slipped his fingers through Stiles. “Good. I'm glad to hear that.”

Stiles began to swing their hands as they walked toward the parking lot. “So, I was thinking of naming the next fish Ishmael.”

“I'm upset that you missed the perfect golden opportunity in naming it Magikarp or Gyarados.”

Stiles burst into laughter and took a few minutes to respond. “I'm so happy you're a geek.”

“I'm happy you bothered me when I was studying instead of going to find Danny.”

“Of course not. I know how that would've ended. He would've shot me down and I'd still be running around worried about Cap'n.”

“And how did you think it would end when you came to me?”

“Well, at first, I was just thinking of Cap'n, but after getting to know you a little bit, I could see us dating, maybe becoming a long-lasting relationship and then, lots and lots of sex.”

Derek stumbled as his groin practically tingled with interest. _That_ had certainly never happened before. He'd never felt like he belonged in the ocean due to his lack of interest in copulating and repopulating. Even after Derek had arrived on land he hadn't felt the need to explore himself in a sexual manner.

Until Stiles barged into his life and stirred up his calm seas.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I was going to have Derek get in the bath tub with Cap'n, and then Stiles and Derek were supposed to have sex.
> 
> I may write a second part for this, but I wanted to get this posted because I don't have time between work and figuring school out, plus writing.


End file.
